


Why our hearts have beats

by CharlotteDaBookworm



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Established Relationship, Family Fluff, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Moving In Together, Music, Musician!Nyx, Parent-Child Relationship, Prompto Ulric AU, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-16 09:47:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18092030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharlotteDaBookworm/pseuds/CharlotteDaBookworm
Summary: “Is this a guitar case?” He asked, eyebrows drawn together as he stared down at the battered, dusty leather case in front of him.Over where Prompto was sorting through his boxes of photos – trying to put them in some sort of order, Regis hoped, because there were many of them – he yelped, while Noctis’ head snapped up and he scuttled over to peer over his shoulder with wide eyes.





	Why our hearts have beats

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own FFXV or anything else in here. Title comes from the quote "Music is life. That's why our hearts have beats," but I don't know who it's by. Songs featured in this include _Safe and Sound_ by Taylor Swift, and _Stand By Me_ by Florence & The Machine. This happened because Johan Akan, Nyx's mocap actor, posted a cover of Stand By Me on his twitter ages ago and I've wanted to write something along those veins for a while now

***

Regis frowned.

 

“Is this a guitar case?” He asked, eyebrows drawn together as he stared down at the battered, dusty leather case in front of him.

 

Over where Prompto was sorting through his boxes of photos – trying to put them in some sort of order, Regis hoped, because there were _many_ of them – he yelped, while Noctis’ head snapped up and he scuttled over to peer over his shoulder with wide eyes.

 

“What?” Nyx wandered over, leaping a short pile of boxes like a fence before throwing himself across the bed so that he could look over the edge. “Huh,” was all that he said for a moment, sprawled half-off half-on the bed as he ran an almost reverent hand over the case. “I’d almost forgotten about this old thing,” he said with a casual grin, in a way that told Regis that he very much hadn’t.

 

He didn’t comment, not now. He could ask later when the children were abed.

 

“I didn’t know that you owned a guitar. You play?” He asked instead as his lover picked up the case, moving to actually _sit_ on the bed as he placed it in his lap.

 

“A little, yeah-”

 

“Dad’s _awesome_!” Prompto interjected, bouncing towards them, practically vibrating with glee. “He used to play all the time while Uncle Libs had his weekly, er, stitch-n-bitch-”

 

_“Language_!” Regis snapped out automatically in concert with Nyx.

 

The blond continued, unconcerned. “-and he was the best, and he’s teaching me too! I’m not very good and we haven’t had time for a lesson but it’s fun!” He turned to Noct, a bright grin on his face. “He’ll totally teach you too if you want!”

 

“ _Really?_ ” Noctis turned bright blue eyes on Nyx and Regis watched as his lover _crumpled_ like a piece of paper.

 

Nyx looked away, pouting slightly at the power of the Eyes, and Regis coughed to hide a laugh – he was in love with a complete pushover of a man. “Yeah. Yeah, little light, if you want I can teach you a bit.” And then, as a distraction, he unsnapped the case – revealing dark, aged wood that was obviously well-cared for despite the state of the case – and caressed the neck of the instrument with an almost shy grin lighting up his features.

 

And suddenly Regis could almost _see_ the ghost of a dark, curly-haired child, sitting with the same guitar on his lap, too small arms stretched around the instrument and plucking at the strings in awe as the same shy grin graced his face.

 

He couldn’t help the smile that formed on his own face.

 

Noct and Prompto scrambled onto the bed to sit in front of Nyx as the man lifted the guitar out, playing with the strings and fiddling with the – keys? Tuning pegs? Whatever the things on the end were called. Regis wasn’t the most familiar with string instruments (his childhood music lessons had been on the piano) and he’d have to ask, or just sit in on one of the lessons that his lover was almost certainly going to give the children. He hummed, head tilted as he listened to changes in the sound that Regis couldn’t quite make out, before his grin gained a triumphant edge and he strummed the strings, playing a small tune.

 

“Still got it,” he said, looking at Regis with sparkling eyes and a bright grin, and Regis swallowed back the flare of _heat_ in his chest at the look on his lover’s face.

 

_Now is not the time, Regis_. He reminded himself. _Later. You can ravish your beautiful young lover later, when the children are asleep._

 

“Dad! Dad! Come _on_! Play something! I haven’t heard you play in _ages_.” Prompto pouted, somehow managing to look more like a kicked puppy than even Noctis managed and Regis could feel himself weakening even as Nyx raised an eyebrow – obviously having gained a measure of resistance through long exposure.

 

“Please?” The boy tacked on at the end, slightly sheepish, before he shared a look with his brother.

 

“Yeah, Nyx, please? I really want to hear you play!” Noct added his own Eyes to the mix beside Prompto.

 

Nyx folded.

 

(Regis couldn’t blame him)

 

“Any requests?” He asked wryly.

 

Prompto _bounced_. “My lullaby, please dad.” He said eagerly and Regis turned an inquiring look of his own at his lover.

 

He sighed. “You sure?” When all Prompto did was nod enthusiastically, he shook his head and looked down at the instrument in his hands.

 

Nimble fingers plucked at the opening cords, creating a gentle melody, before Nyx opened his mouth and started to sing. _“I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I’ll never let you go, when all those shadows almost killed your light~ I remember you said don’t leave me here alone, but all that’s dead and gone and passed tonight~~”_

 

_“Just close your eyes, the sun is going down~ You’ll be alright, no one can hurt you now~ Come morning light, you and I’ll be safe and sound~”_ Nyx smiled gently at his son, who was mouthing the words in time with him, and gave him a nod. This time, both father and son sang it together. _“Just close your eyes~, the sun is going down~ Come morning light~, you and I’ll~ be safe~ and sound~~~”_

 

Their voices trailed off and the music faded out, leaving Noctis and Regis to stare in speechless awe at the two of them.

 

And then Nyx was placing the guitar aside moments before Prom slammed into his chest, tackle hugging him and whispering something that Regis couldn’t hear over and over into his chest.

 

Nyx laughed softly, nuzzling his son’s hair. “Love you too, little bird,” he murmured as the blond settled slightly, shifting to sit almost at his side. Noctis moved closer, resting a hand on Prompto’s leg even as he stared at Nyx. “How about one more song before we finish up here?” he asked, because they really did need to finish packing up the flat today, and Regis wasn’t ashamed to admit that his nod was only slightly less enthusiastic than the two childrens were.

 

There was something captivating about Nyx singing – something about the passion and emotion that his lover excluded – that made him want to both kiss the man senseless and listen to him play forever. This was a side of his lover that he hadn’t seen before and he wanted to see more of it.

 

With a look directed at Regis, Nyx closed his eyes began to play.

 

_“When the night, has come~ And the land, is dark. And the moon, is the only light we’ll see. No, I won’t be afraid. Oh, I won’t be afraid. Just as long, as you stand, stand by me~~”_ Swaying back and forth with the music, Nyx opened his eyes and looked at Regis – eyes open and gentle and full of so much _love_ that Regis found it hard to breathe.

_“So darling, darling~”_ He sang - sang to _him_ – and the smile that spread across his face was bright and young and Regis _knew_ that he was smiling dopily back at him. _“stand by me~ Oh~, stand by me. Oh~, stand now, stand by me, stand by me.”_

_“No I won’t, be afraid~ No I won’t, shed a tear~ Just as long, as you stand, stand by me~ Oh darling, darling~ Stand, by me. Oh~, stand by me. Oh, stand by, stand by, stand by me~”_ The words faded out even as the chords continued, getting quieter and quieter in the silence of the room before they too faded out completely.

 

The entire time, Nyx kept his eyes locked with Regis’.

 

And suddenly, he couldn’t resist any longer.

 

In a single step, he was beside his lover and he pressed gentle, reverent kisses to every inch of his face, fingers tangling in his braids as he pulled the man close and rested their foreheads together.

 

“I love you, Nyx Ulric.” He breathed out, breathless with the strength of the love that he felt for this man.

 

Nyx grinned at him, leaning up to brush their lips together. “And I, you, Regis Lucis Caelum,” he said as he pulled back slightly, reaching out to steady himself with a hand at Regis’ neck.

 

For a long moment, they just stared at each other – existing silently in the same space, comfortable in the love that they shared.

 

And then the kids started jumping up and down on the bed, obviously bored with waiting, and they pulled away reluctantly – separating with lingering touches and rolled eyes as they went to calm the boys before they broke something.

 

Again.

 

But Regis wouldn’t have it any other way.

***

**Author's Note:**

> so, yeah. fluff. pure fluff. i am as shocked as y'all are. but have fun, i guess? tell me what you think? thanks for reading? i dunno man, i'm too tired for this shit


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